By Joe Lovelace
Marathonbet's search for the best goal celebration in Non-League football is coming to a climax with just over a month left for clubs to send in their entries into the Non-League Challenge and claim a chance to win the £10,000 cash prize.
The challenge, which is open to 140 clubs from Steps 5, 6 and 7, is on the lookout for Non-League football's greatest goal celebration from the 2016-17 season with the winning club claiming a friendly match against a team of ex-Premier League legends and a £10,000 cheque.
With just over a month until entries close, on Tuesday, March 28, Marathonbet have seen some strong celebrations flood in already.
Friendly match
They range from Forest Green Rovers' ‘dab' handshake between team-mates Drissa Traore and Keanu Marsh-Brown to Gainsborough Trinity's Nathan Jarman celebrating his new-born baby.
Elswehere, in National League North, Salford City striker Michael Phenix celebrated his goal by re-enacting a selfie after losing his mobile phone at a Christmas Market in November last year. The Non-League Challenge really has seen it all!
Last season's winners Wealdstone bagged the cash prize and friendly match after their iconic fan the Wealdstone Raider entered the pitch and, along with Stones players, re-enacted Paul Gascoigne's memorable Dentist Chair celebration from Euro 1996.
The London-based club spent the £10,000 cash prize on improving their stadium and purchasing new players.
Wealdstone also claimed 90% gate receipts with Prostate Cancer UK taking the rest from the match against Marathonbet's Premier League Legends team that included illustrious names such as Teddy Sheringham, Dion Dublin, Nigel Winterburn and Darren Anderton.
The race to be crowned Non-League Challenge 2016/17 winner is hotting up with not long left and there isn't any reason why your Non-League club can't enter and reap the rewards!
Even if your club have entered already there's no limit on how many entries they can send in, so go celebration crazy and keep them coming!
Tom Zanelli, creator of the Non-League Challenge, said: “We've had some great goal celebration entries so far!
Silverware
“If your Non-League club hasn't entered yet urge them to get involved and send in their best celebration, you've got nothing to lose but a lot to gain with the £10,000 cash prize going to the winning club on whatever they see fit from new players to stadium improvements.
“On top of this the club that wins our Non-League Challenge will play a friendly match against a team of players who achieved a host of international caps and claimed staggering amounts of silverware!”
This season's Marathonbet Premier League Legends team is already starting to take shape with names such as Chris Sutton, Emile Heskey, Sol Campbell, Christian Dailly and Danny Gabbidon all signed up to take to the field on July 30.
The top Non-League Challenge celebrations will be shortlisted in April where voting will then begin to find out which club will be crowned 2016-17 winners.
For all the latest news and content follow @NonLgeChallenge or head to nlc.marathonbet.co.uk.
